Friday, November 16, 2012

Stories From the Field: Visiting the blind school

When BCF
asked me to share an anecdote about my time in Bhutan I drew a blank. How could
I sum up of an experience like this one? At first I wanted to share about my
students but it was impossible to abstract one or two moments in the daily
magic of teaching here. After a time my mind drifted back to a perfect spring
day. My friend Becky and I had been on a tour of the east and decided to ride
out to Khaling. I had it in my mind to visit the school for the blind there. I
was born with a rare eye condition called Congenital Nastagmus which severely
affects my vision. I yearned to meet with kids less fortunate then myself. We
marveled at the undulating landscape and lush mountain passes on the way to our
destination. Upon arrival I felt nervous ambushing these “disabled” children.
But mostly I was excited to be fulfilling my ambition of visiting the school. I
happened upon the students as they were eating lunch in the dining hall. At one
table were students with low vision like me and at another table were kids who
were completely blind. Some of the low vision kids were albino which is
associated with Congenital Nastagmus and other chronic eye conditions.
Immediately I struck up a conversation with Dorji a blind boy in a purple plaid
gho who also happened to be a famous Bhutanese singer. Dorji adeptly led me
around the nooks and crannies of campus swiftly using his cane for navigation.
At one point he collided with another boy giving us all a good laugh. I spent
several hours talking to the boys in their neatly arranged hostel. I also met
the girls in the courtyard where one blind girl demonstrated Bhutanese brail by
poking holes through carbon paper with an ear syringe device. I went on to
visit the classrooms where I met a mentally challenged boy who had no eyes who
groped my thumb with his little fingers. What struck me about these students
was how they supported and assisted each other and enjoyed themselves like any
kids would. Unfortunately we had to depart before the blind ball game scheduled
for that afternoon. I left feeling inspired to be the best teacher I can be.

About Me

I was raised in Marin County Cailifornia north of San Francisco. I was blessed growing up spending summers with my family on Donner Lake near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I earned my B.S in English and Writing from Southern Oregon University in Ashland. After college I spent some years skiing at Alpine Meadows before teaching ESL in South Korea for a year. I was fortunate to travel to Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia while in Asia. I was particularly fascinated by Khmer culture and enjoyed my visit to Angkor. I recently completed my teacher training at Dominican University in San Rafael receiving my California Credential. With the support of The Bhutan Canada Foundaton I am leaving for Bhutan in January 2012 for a stint as a teacher.